Chapter 57: The Skysplitter's Daughter (Patreon)

(AN: Just a reminder, I am taking a break before I put FotFG on hiatus so I can focus on writing TRT. Since this might take a while, I will pause billing as soon as this post goes live.)

Astra walked over to Ellen as the latter cradled Darian’s head in her lap. She stared at the snake woman in amazement. That was the first time she had seen anyone calm down someone using Demon’s Wrath with a kiss. Granted, her only experience with Demon’s Wrath was Gavin. Whenever he used his innate ability, he had to be subdued and suppressed through force. After a while, he would return to human form.

This worked for a while, until it didn’t. By that point, Gavin had grown too strong to contain. That was when the slaughter began.

“What did you do?” Astra asked. “Did you use some kind of technique?”

Ellen shook her head.

“No.” She looked up at Astra. “I know you have questions, Guardian Astra. As I promised Darian, I will answer them later. Right now, Darian needs healing.”

Astra grimaced as she looked over Darian’s body. He was covered in claw marks and spider bites. A quick search with her mind sense told Astra that Darian also suffered severe internal injuries. It was as if someone had injected acid into his body.

At least Darian wasn’t bleeding, so his life wasn’t in immediate danger despite his critical condition. It was a minor blessing, given the circumstances, but it was something.

Astra was about to take down her formation, when Ellen spoke up again.

“Guardian Astra, what do we tell the others about what happened?” she asked.

“I already thought of that,” Astra said. “We’ll tell the truth, at least some of it. There was a demon in Spiderwood Hollow and it attacked Darian.”

Ellen’s eyes glinted with anger. Astra knew how the snake woman felt, since she felt the same. This trial by fire was supposed to be dangerous, yes, but not to this extent. This went beyond what was reasonable.

If Clan River Heart and Clan Stone Pillar had known about the demon, and kept quiet on purpose, Astra would make them pay. Even if she didn’t, Senior Sister Nova would. The fate of these two clans depended on how satisfied Astra was with their answers.

Astra took down the formation that separated the entrance to Spiderwood Hollow from the rest of the world. In the hours she had kept it up, the cultivators from Clan Wind Dance, Clan Stone Pillar, and Clan River Heart had battered against it with attacks and spells. Clan River Heart had even brought in a formations expert to try and take it down, which Astra found amusing at the time.

None of it worked.

The moment the formation came down, Astra released her aura to suppress everyone except Lucius, Vera, and Darren. She held nothing back.

Any cultivators below the Element Collection stage couldn’t move, and fell to their knees. Foundation Establishment cultivators fell unconscious altogether. Those at the Element Collection stage could move with great difficulty. Those at the Golden Core stage had it easier, though they moved as if carrying a heavy burden.

“Darian!” Vera cried out, before rushing over towards him.

Lucius and Darren were right behind her. Vera looked Darian over with a grimace, before she went to work healing him. Lucius looked grim. Darren gazed down at his son, both fury and worry in his eyes.

Everyone else looked at Astra with mixed expressions. Some were awed, some were fearful, and some glared at Astra with venomous hate. Matriarch Carlisa was one of the latter.

“You overstep your bounds, beast,” she spat out. “Clan River Heart will not tolerate-…”

“Shut up,” Astra said, cutting her off.

This made the River Heart Matriarch even more furious. She started to march over, a whip made of water in her hands, but Astra exerted more pressure on her and forced her to stop. Matriarch Carlisa wore an unsightly expression on her face. Despite that, Astra noticed the fear in her eyes. Good.

Patriarch Darin headed in Astra’s direction as well, though his focus was on Darian. Matriarch Ava glanced between Astra and Darian, looking worried.

Matriarch Carlisa opened her mouth to say something, but Darren spoke up first.

“What happened to Darian?” he said, sounding angrier than Astra had ever heard him. His own aura exploded out. “What happened to my son?”

“A demon,” Astra stated, crossing her arms. “It attacked Darian in Spiderwood Hollow and possessed his body. If I hadn’t sealed the area off and used one of my sect’s secret arts to purge the demon from his body, it would have devoured his soul.”

A heavy silence fell over the glen at the mention of demons. Fear and tension filled the air. Matriarch Carlisa and Matriarch Ava blanched, while Patriarch Darin’s expression grew dark.

Lying like this was the only way to turn suspicion away from Darian regarding his demonic nature. There were too many traces of demonic activity within Spiderwood Hollow to hide the truth altogether. Trying would only arouse suspicion. That meant she had to resort to misdirection.

Besides, it wasn’t a total lie. Darian’s life had been in danger. If he hadn’t defeated the demon using Demon’s Wrath, it really would have possessed his body and devoured his soul. That was what demonic spirits did.

“A demon!” Elder Astoria said. “You sent my grandson into the arms of a demon?”

Despite the pressure on her, she continued to head over towards Darian. Astra retracted her aura from Elder Astoria and Patriarch Darin. The woman rushed over to Darian, while Patriarch Darin stood next to Astra and faced the two matriarchs.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked. “Explain yourselves.”

The two matriarchs recovered their composure.

“There couldn’t have been a demon in Spiderwood Hollow,” Matriarch Carlisa said. “We sent some of our people in there just a month ago.”

Astra snorted.

“Then something must be wrong with your eyes, because there was in fact a demon within Spiderwood Hollow. It corrupted the heart of your hidden realm. You can send your people inside to check it out for themselves.” She bared her teeth at the River Heart Matriarch in a grim smile. “The only question that remains is whether or not you and Matriarch Ava knew about it beforehand. Because if you did, and you sent Darian in there, then I won’t be very happy about it.”

Her tone left no doubt about what she would do if that were the case. Patriarch Darin’s aura rose up as well, letting his displeasure known. Matriarch Ava bowed to Astra and Patriarch Darin.

“Cultivator Astra,” she said. “Patriarch Darian. You have my deepest apologies. This was only supposed to be a test of Darian’s strengths. I had no idea about the demon, and I’m sure neither did Matriarch Carlisa.”

At the mention of her name, Matriarch Carlisa also bowed.

“I apologize as well,” Matriarch Carlisa said. “This should have never happened. I don’t know how a demon got into Spiderwood Hollow, but I will have my people look into it.”

Matriarch Ava sounded sincere and genuine in her apology. Astra believed her words. Matriarch Carlisa on the other hand didn’t sound as apologetic as Astra liked. However, she thought that the woman was telling the truth when it came to the demon.

The two Matriarchs rose from their bows. Both looked apprehensive. Astra looked at Patriarch Darin. While she was Darian’s aunt, he was the Patriarch of Darian’s clan, and these were clan matters. She would let him deal with this.

“A simple apology cannot suffice for the danger you put my grandson in,” Patriarch Darin said in a cold voice. “Out of respect for the both of you, I will give you the opportunity to make things right instead of leaving for Silverwood Vale right away.”

Matriarch Ava grimaced, but nodded.

“Of course,” she said. “Clan Stone Pillar is more than willing to make up for this grievous mistake on our part.”

“As is Clan River Heart,” Matriarch Carlisa said.

“Good,” Patriarch Darin said. “My people and I will return to Crescent Moon City. When Darian wakes up, we can discuss things further.” He turned to Astra. “Cultivator Astra, would you please release my people? It’s time for us to leave this place.”

Astra nodded and did as he asked. The elders of Clan Wind Dance collected themselves. Meanwhile, Astra helped Vera and the others carry Darian away.

Ellen held him in her arms the entire time.

***

Vivian sat on her Master’s flying carpet, bored out of her mind. Earlier that day, a little after dawn, her Master had interrupted her cultivation and told her that they were going on a trip. Vivian protested, but it was no use. Master Baldric remained adamant.

Soon, they were on their way out of Crescent Moon City, heading towards a forested glen some distance away from the city. As was his usual way, Master Baldric didn’t give her any details about what was going on until they had reached their destination.

Vivian wore her usual outfit for these parts, bundling herself up in thick winter clothing to protect herself against the cold. She didn’t need it, given her cultivation level, but she preferred to be warm rather than cold. And it was cold here, in the Myriad Rivers region. It was just autumn, but the temperature was already colder than what Vivian had experienced before in her life.

“Why are we here, Master?” Vivian complained.

The two of them sat on Master Baldric’s flying carpet as it hovered in the air. Ahead of them was the forested glen that served as the entrance to some sort of hidden realm. Vivian could see a boulder with a cave in the center of it. Dark mist swirled about in the cave.

A group of people occupied the glen in front of the boulder. Rather, three groups of people did. Vivian recognized them as members of three of the local clans that made up the major powers within the Myriad Rivers region: Clan Wind Dance, Clan Stone Pillar, and Clan River Heart.

Vivian wasn’t sure what was going on, but it looked to be something important given all the activity going on.

“Clan Wind Dance and Clan Stone Pillar are in the midst of negotiating an alliance,” Master Baldric said, nodding towards the groups of people. “Clan River Heart is hosting the talks and acting as mediator, though it’s clear that they favor Clan Stone Pillar.”

Vivian raised an eyebrow at him.

“I didn’t realize you were keeping such a close eye on the local politics, Master,” she said in a dry tone.

“I was on the lookout for the fortuitous encounter Immortal Farsight predicted for you, when I caught sight of an old…acquaintance. When I saw that she was with Clan Wind Dance, I looked into the situation. I suspect she is related to your fortuitous encounter somehow. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered.”

At the mention of the supposed fortuitous encounter she would have in the Myriad Rivers region, Vivian sulked. She couldn’t help but feel a little resentment towards Immortal Farsight. If it hadn’t been for his divination, she wouldn’t be here in this backwater with its unreasonably cold weather.

On the other hand, this fortuitous encounter was supposed to help her with her Demon’s Wrath innate ability. Her greatest fear was ending up like her brother Gavin, and she would do almost anything to avoid that fate.

“Which acquaintance?” Vivian asked. “Do I know her?”

“Astra, a Guardian of the Dawn and Dusk Sect,” Master Baldric answered.

At the mention of the Dawn and Dusk Sect, Vivian sat up. The Dawn and Dusk Sect neighbored the Thousand Blade Sect, which her Master belonged to and which she was set to join in the future. The two sects had a rocky relationship, though that hadn’t always been the case.

Centuries ago they had been allies, but after one of the Dawn and Dusk Sect’s Immortals killed her brother Gavin, things changed. Even though Gavin had been a raging monster that needed to be stopped, he had still been a disciple of the Thousand Blade Sect and the son of one of the sect’s Immortals.

His death shattered the friendship that existed between the two sects. While the Thousand Blade Sect and the Dawn and Dusk Sect weren’t enemies, tension existed between them. On several occasions, disciples from both sects had clashed, though none of these skirmishes resulted in deaths. Yet.

Given her family’s history with the Dawn and Dusk Sect, Vivian had learned as much as she could about it. In particular, she had an interest in the woman who killed her brother, Immortal Nova.

Vivian had mixed feelings regarding Immortal Nova. The woman had killed her brother. Vivian couldn’t ignore that, even if she agreed that someone had needed to stop Gavin. Immortal Nova was also her father’s enemy. That alone put Vivian at odds with the woman.

However, Vivian also admired Immortal Nova. The woman lived a long and storied life. She also distinguished herself during the Shattering, slaughtering her way through countless other Immortals, and was one of the reasons why the Dawn and Dusk Sect had survived those tumultuous years.

Immortal Nova had even saved her father’s life once.

Vivian saw Immortal Nova as a role model and wished to emulate her, at least when it came to the woman’s martial exploits. The drinking and licentious behavior, not so much.

In fact, one of Vivian’s dreams was to become an Immortal herself and fight Immortal Nova. Not out of anger or vengeance, but to test herself.

“Does this Astra have any connection to Immortal Nova?” Vivian asked, acting nonchalant.

From the look her Master gave her, he didn’t buy her act for a second. He answered her question anyway.

“They’re closer to each other than martial sisters typically are,” he said. “They truly regard each other as family. In fact, if I remember right, Guardian Astra’s father was one of Immortal Nova’s Masters, back when she was mortal.”

Vivian stared at her Master. How had she not known this? Then again, her studies had focused more on Immortal Nova herself rather than her relationships with other people. This was an oversight Vivian would correct as soon as possible.

Since this Astra was a Guardian of the Dawn and Dusk Sect, then she was at least a Nascent Soul cultivator like Master Baldric. The Guardians of the Dawn and Dusk Sect were elite cultivators, second only to the sect’s Immortals in terms of strength and status.

What was someone like that doing here in a backwater like the Myriad Rivers region?

“Guardian Astra’s presence can’t be a coincidence,” Vivian said, her brow furrowed in thought. “She is connected to Immortal Nova, the woman who killed my brother, who also had the Demon’s Wrath innate ability.”

“That was my thinking as well,” Master Baldric said, nodding. “Now you see why I took such an interest in Clan Wind Dance’s affairs?”

Vivian nodded as well. With her interest piqued, she turned to observe the gathering once more. After a few moments, she frowned.

“Wait a moment,” she said. “If they’re negotiating an alliance, why are they all the way out here?”

Vivian looked to her Master for answers.

“They seek to secure the alliance through a marriage between the grandson of Clan Wind Dance’s Patriarch, Darian Wind Dance, and the granddaughter of Clan Stone Pillar’s Matriarch, Willow Stone Pillar,” Master Baldric said. “Darian Wind Dance is going through a trial by fire right now to prove himself to Clan Stone Pillar.”

Ah, so that’s how it was. Master Baldric must have kept a close eye on everything to be this well informed. Nascent Soul cultivators were terrifying like that.

Hours passed by as Vivian and her Master watched the cultivators from Clan Wind Dance, Clan Stone Pillar, and Clan River Heart. It was easy to see who belonged to which clan. Vivian kept an eye out for Guardian Astra. Her Master failed to provide a description of her, but Vivian didn’t mind. It would be more fun to figure it out on her own.

A few women caught her eye. One was a pale skinned woman with long black hair. While she wore the colors of Clan Wind Dance, she stood apart from them. A servant, or someone pretending to be a servant?

Another was a tall muscular woman who towered over everyone else, but after a moment Vivian shook her head. The tall woman wore the colors of Clan Stone Pillar. She couldn’t be Guardian Astra.

The last woman belonged to neither Clan Wind Dance nor Clan Stone Pillar. In fact, based on her clothing, Vivian saw she belonged to none of the clans in the region. The woman had white hair and wore white clothing. Another white haired woman accompanied her. Was this Guardian Astra?

Vivian didn’t know, it was difficult to pick out details from this distance. She was a cultivator, one on the verge of stepping into the Energy Gathering stage, but she couldn’t compare to her Master.

When noon arrived, something interesting happened. A sun cat, a rare kind of spirit beast, flew over to the entrance of the hidden realm. Vivian had noticed the sun cat before, but thought she was an ordinary cat spirit beast at first. However, upon closer inspection, Vivian realized the truth.

Her intuition told her that this was Guardian Astra. Vivian felt vindicated when she saw the sun cat transform into her human form. The sun cat wore the colors of the Dawn and Dusk Sect’s Unconquered Fist Peak, which focused on hand to hand combat.

“Is that Guardian Astra?” Vivian asked, her excitement bleeding out. She gestured to the sun cat.

“Yes,” Master Baldric said, his eyes narrowing. “She is.”

Despite her excitement at seeing someone with a personal connection to Immortal Nova, Vivian saw some unidentifiable emotion flicker in her Master’s eyes. She wondered if Master Baldric had some sort of personal history with Guardian Astra. While she was curious, Vivian refrained from asking. Master Baldric had lived for a long time, and didn’t speak of his past often. He liked his privacy, and Vivian learned to stop asking.

Now that she thought about it, Vivian realized that she knew more about Immortal Nova than she did about her own Master.

Vivian’s thoughts were interrupted when she felt the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator explode out of Guardian Astra. Everyone who stood near the entrance to the hidden realm was pushed back. Guardian Astra threw out formation flags, and moments later, an obfuscation and barrier formation sprang into existence. It was a red barrier that hid the entrance to the hidden realm from sight.

Vivian noted that the pale skinned woman with long black hair managed to get inside before the barrier formed.

The cultivators from the three major clans were alarmed by this. They started to attack the barrier, to no avail. Clearly, Guardian Astra’s actions had caught them off guard.

“What’s going on?” Vivian asked with a frown. “Why did she block off the entrance to that hidden realm?”

“I don’t know,” Master Baldric said. “Here, take my hand.”

Vivian did as her Master said and took his hand.

“Shared Sight!”

Her eyes stung for a moment, and then Vivian could see through the barrier.

“That formation is only effective against Golden Core cultivators and below. As long as I share my sight with you, you will be able to see through it.”

Vivian nodded in gratitude, before continuing to observe what was going on. The cultivators from the three clans continued to attack the formation. Meanwhile, Guardian Astra and the pale skinned woman waited outside the entrance to the hidden realm, as if expecting something or someone to emerge.

A few more hours passed in which nothing changed. However, Vivian noticed it when Guardian Astra tensed up. She focused her attention on the entrance of the hidden realm. What she saw next shocked her to the core of her being.

A young man emerged from the entrance to the hidden realm. Like Guardian Astra, he wore the colors of the Unconquered Fist Peak of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. However, the young man’s skin was pitch black and he had horns protruding from his head. Vivian couldn’t see it from here, but she imagined that this young man had red eyes.

He was using Demon’s Wrath. While there were demonic techniques that had similar effects to Demon’s Wrath, Vivian knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this young man wasn’t using one of them. While she had never used her own Demon’s Wrath innate ability, she had seen recording crystals that had captured images of her brother, Gavin, when he was caught in the midst of one of his rages. This young man looked exactly like him.

“Demon’s Wrath,” Vivian breathed out.

“Yes,” Master Baldric said, his voice grim.

That young man was the fortuitous encounter Immortal Farsight had divined. He had to be. He had the same innate ability as she did. The question was, how did this help her control her own demonic nature?

Vivian watched as the pale skinned woman intercepted the young man. To her surprise, he didn’t attack her. Instead, it looked like the two of them were talking. At this distance, it was impossible to hear what they said. This gave Vivian another shock. From what she understood, anyone using the Demon’s Wrath innate ability lashed out at everything and everyone around them. Yet, she saw this wasn’t the case here.

The young man and the pale skinned woman shared a kiss, and the young man stopped using the Demon’s Wrath ability. His black skin turned light brown, and the horns on his head disappeared. He collapsed into the pale skinned woman’s arms.

“How?” Vivian asked, looking at her master. “How did he stop himself? Was it that woman?” She frowned. “Did she use some kind of technique?”

“It’s impossible to tell from here,” her Master said, looking back at her. “Whatever the truth of the matter, we will find out.”

“I wonder how we are going to get them to tell us.” Vivian pondered this. “I could find a way to get close to that young man or that pale skinned woman. They look the same age as me. That seems like our best option.”

At this, Master Baldric arched an eyebrow at her.

“We could, though it would be simpler to coerce them into telling us.”

Vivian frowned at this.

“How do you mean? You’re strong, Master, but so is Guardian Astra. I doubt we could force them to tell us.”

Even as she said that, Vivian watched as Guardian Astra lowered the barrier formation and confronted the cultivators from Clan Wind Dance, Clan Stone Pillar, and Clan River Heart. Despite being outnumbered, she had a domineering air to her.

“Not force, no. Threaten.”

Vivian’s frown deepened. Master Baldric gave her a patient look.

“That young man used Demon’s Wrath. What does that mean?”

It took Vivian less than a second to figure it out.

“He’s an Immortal’s son,” she whispered.

The children of Immortals were rare. So much so that Vivian thought that she was the only one in this age. It seemed like she was wrong.

“Yes. Given what you know, whose son do you think he is?”

Vivian’s heart started to pound as she realized what her Master was saying.

“Immortal Nova. He is Immortal Nova’s son.”

“Yes. Guardian Astra is likely the only one Immortal Nova would trust to watch over her son, the same way I’m the only one your father would trust to watch over you.”

Vivian nodded, though she was still distracted by the possibility of meeting Immortal Nova’s son.

“That would explain why someone like Guardian Astra is in this far-flung corner of the world,” Master Baldric continued. “Immortal Nova has made a lot of enemies in her life, including your father. She sought to hide her son away from them. If we threaten to reveal his location, I have no doubt that they will tell us what we want to know.”

“No!” Vivian cried out, grasping her Master’s arm.

He frowned at her.

“Vivian, I can understand why you might hesitate to use such methods, but remember that Immortal Nova is your father’s enemy. This means she is your enemy too. Since that young man is her son, he is also your enemy.”

Vivian’s mind whirled as she tried to think of a way to convince her Master not to go through with his plan. An idea sparked in her mind.

“How can we trust knowledge this important if we get it through coercion?” she asked. “They could give us the wrong information, and we would have no way to know if it was true or not without testing it out. That would mean removing the seal on my demonic nature. By the time we do that, they might come up with a way to deal with any threats we make.” Vivian leaned in. “While it might take longer, befriending Immortal’s Nova son has the higher chance of success. It is also the least risky option for us.”

Master Baldric studied her for a moment, before sighing.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” he said. “I am well aware of your regard for Immortal Nova, despite her relationship with your father. Still, you do make some valid points. If nothing else, it will give you the chance to get to know your enemy.”

Vivian wore a calm mask on her face, but she cheered on the inside. This was her chance to get closer to the woman she respected and admired the most. It also gave her the chance to get to know another child of an Immortal. Despite their parents’ relationship, Vivian and this young man shared a form of kinship. They could understand each other in ways that no one else could.

While this meant spending more time in this cold region, Vivian had no complaints. She thought it was well worth the price. It looked like her stay in Crescent Moon City would last longer than she had expected.